As with SanDisk's new Dual USB Drive, EMTEC's new DUO Type C 2-in-1 flash drive features a Type C connector on one side and standard USB 3.0 on the other. As with all thumb drives, both EMTEC's and SanDisk's are designed to fit into any pocket for transport and to share files among computers and new-generation smartphones, tablets and laptops with compatible ports.

The Type-C USB port is expected to be available on 12% of smartphones in 2016, according to IDC.

Type-C connectors are reversible, meaning the orientation of the plug to the receptor doesn't matter. The USB 3.1 specification supports data transfer speeds of up to10 Gbps, twice as fast as USB 3.0. Type-C can also deliver far greater power than USB 3.0 -- up to 100 watts.

Available in 16GB and 32GB capacities, the EMTEC thumb drive measures 1-in by .6-in by .3-in. A sliding cap allows users to select either USB 3.0 on one side or Type C on the other. The drives have read rates of up to 110MBps and write rates of up to 20MBps.

Both of the Type C 2-in-1 flash drives work with Apple's new MacBook, the Chromebook Pixel laptop and the Nokia N1 tablet, as well as with a wide range of upcoming products that will eventually utilize the Type C reversible connector.

Both new Type C thumb drives will be available in the second quarter of this year; prices are still being finalized, the company said.

USB Type C, also referred to as USB v3.1, is backward compatible with USB 3.0. For its part, USB 3.0 is backward compatible with USB 2.0.

SanDisk's thumb drive, which comes with 32GB of capacity, is compatible with PCs (Windows Vista and higher) and Mac computers (OS X v10.6 and higher) and there are no drivers needed for installation.

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